Hurt by a Criminal, Saved by a Gentleman
by KassSalvatore
Summary: AU. KLAROLINE. After a near-attack, Caroline Forbes struggles to feel the way she used too. Insomnia, anxiety and depression are all too familiar to Caroline now. But sadly, the only thing that seems to relieve her from her stress is spending time with the man who saved her life. Not to mention, the man she spends time with is in a coma!
1. The Attack

**A/N: I deleted my other two stories because I wasn't really proud of them, idk. But I am kinda proud of this! Also, next chapter will BE MUCH BETTER! This chapter was a little hard to write because the first chapter in a book always is hard to write! IT'S KLAROLINE! Might continue it if I get positive feedback. Enjoy :)**

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It was 37 degrees outside, a very hot night in Mystic Falls, Virginia. Eighteen year-old Caroline Forbes was at the park, doing her usual workout routine. She had been working out for several hours, starting from 1 pm to now, 5 pm. She had been doing laps around the arena and a bunch of sit-ups, squats and lunges. As Caroline relaxed her mouth, blew out some air, her bangs flew out of her face. Her hand went up to her forehead only to realize it was dripping with sweat. She guessed that's what you got for working out all day in the hot sun.

"Nice outfit, sexy." A man behind her said. He was enjoying the view.

'My outfit isn't that sexy,' Caroline thought. All she was wearing was long, pink yoga pants and a white tank top.

Caroline felt her cheeks go hot before turning around. She looked at the person who had just uttered words to her. He was a man that looked like he was in his mid-forties, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket. He had black hair, a moustache and beady brown eyes.

"Um, excuse me?" Caroline said and placed her hands on her hips, with a raised brow. She felt a little uncomfortable, she was okay with compliments but this guy seemed a little…off.

The black haired man was smirking and he wondered a little closer to her. "I like that outfit sweetheart. Wanna come home with me and show me what's underneath it?" His beady eyes burned into her soul, making Caroline gag.

She backed away from him, feeling concerned for her safety. "Um, I think you should go," she muttered under her breath.

"I'm only leaving if you come with me," he said. The man licked his lips, hungrily. "What's your name, Sweetheart?" He began to walk closer and closer.

Caroline furrowed her brows at the man. "Leave before I phone the cops. You're harassing me and I will not tolerate this." Her words shook as she spoke. She was nervous, but was trying her hardest to keep it together.

"Oooh, I'm shaking in my boots," He mumbled in her ear causing her to jump. He was that close.

Caroline gritted her teeth. "Get away from me," She spat and ripped her flip phone out from her pocket, beginning to dial 911.

"No!" The man shouted and tore the phone out of her hand, throwing it to the ground.

"Screw off!" She yelled and bent down at an attempt to pick her phone up but he got their quicker and crushed the phone with his boot, sending it into little pieces. "Hmm, how about next time you buy something better than a little shitty flip phone?" He chuckled and crossed his arms.

Caroline looked up at him with nothing but malice in her bright blue eyes. Her innocent look was replaced with a strong one. She was no longer frightened or scared, she was angry and pissed. "Leave me alone," She spat.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her up, roughly. "C'mon, baby. We're going home!" He began to drag her away, his grip crushing her arm.

"GET OF-" She tried to scream buy he covered her mouth with his sweaty hand. She bit him and he pulled his hand away, wincing. "Oww! You bitch!"

She smirked and took off running as fast as she could.

As she was running from the pervert, she found a medium sized bush and decided to hide behind it. So, she did.

"Here, kitty, kitty." The man had caught up to her and was looking for her. "C'mon babe, I won't bite unless you ask me to!" His cackling was frightening but Caroline managed to keep quiet until he ripped out a gun from his jacket pocket. "Better come out now or I'll shoot you once I find you. It's not like I haven't done that before."

"Shit," Caroline whispered. The pervert had a gun and no doubt he would use it on her if he found her, possibly kill her. Things had gone from creepy, to frightening and to dangerous in a matter of minutes.

His beady brown eyes searched from trees to walkways to bushes. He thought he had looked everyone until a certain blond bob caught his eye. "Found you!" he hissed and jumped onto the bush causing Caroline to scream.

He managed to grab Caroline and put her in a choke hold before placing the gun to her head, resting his fingertips on the trigger. "Make a single move or sound and I'll shoot."

She whimpered as tears fell from her eyes, flowing down to her cheeks. "Please," Her voice was so barely audible.

"Don't make a sound!" He hissed with anger and tightened his grip on her neck. "I told you not to speak!"

She tried to hold back her cough; his grip on her neck was suffocating her. She said a quiet prayer inside her head before thinking of all the people she loved, how sad and distraught they would be when they found out she died. Her mother Liz, her father Bill, her best friends, Elena, Bonnie and Katherine and her older brother, Stefan were all the people she could think of from the top of her head that would truly miss her. She didn't want to die, she was far too young.

The pervert's next words tore out form her thoughts. "Stand up and don't make a sound. We're going to go to my house and I swear to god, if you do something as foolish as running, then I will shoot you dead in front of everyone. I'm not kidding."

Caroline nodded silently and pursed her lips. She began to stand up and he released her from his grip to stand up too. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him while aiming the gun at her side as they slowly walked out of the park.

'This is it, Caroline," She thought, "if you don't move now then this is the end. Better to die hoping to survive than to die not trying.'

"My car is right there, come on." He said and guided her to his car.

Right as they approached the car, the man pushed Caroline against the door. "Now tell me your name."

She remained silent.

"Tell me your name!" He yelled and once again, aimed the gun to her head.

"My name is Sarah," She lied with a glare.

"Sarah, that's a pretty name," He said, "well it's nice to meet you Sarah; I think we're going to get along just great."

Now was her chance to run and save herself, or at least die trying. "I think that I'm going to go…" She whispered before kicking him in the crouch.

He doubled over in pain and the gun went off, barely missing her head but getting her in the shoulder.

"Shit," Caroline said and put her hand to her shoulder which started to bleed. She bent down and picked up the gun. 'Do it!' The voice in the back of her head screamed. She wanted to shoot this pervert. Shoot him dead with one shot to the heart, immediately ending his life.

He looked up at her before getting up from the ground. He ripped the gun from her hands and in that split second, Caroline ran as fast as she had ever ran.

"Help! Somebody, help!" She screamed at the top of her lungs in hope that someone would help her.

The street was flooded with people but everyone just looked at Caroline like she was mentally ill.

"Hello?" A man came around the corner, holding two bags of groceries. The bags dropped to the ground as he saw Caroline and who was behind her. "MISS! LOOK OUT!" He rushed over to jump on top of her in an attempt to protect her.

The incoming bullet hit the man in the chest who had saved Caroline. He fell back, coming in contact with the concrete street. His head smashed and he screamed.

"Oh shit!" The pervert cried as he saw all the people on the street. He took off running in hope that no one would see him but now, everyone had.

"Oh my god!" Caroline shouted as her eyes widened.

The man was holding his chest, trying to stop the blood from gushing out. His face was contorted in agony.

"Sir, are you okay?" She asked and brushed the curly hair out of his face, revealing two sets of icy blue eyes rimmed with gold.

"No, I'm not." He groaned and tried to sit up but Caroline gently dragged him onto her lap.

The sounds of sirens and an ambulance were heard in the background as many people rushed over to the pair on the ground.

Caroline and the man heard nothing except for each other. It was probably due to their state of shock.

"Shh, it's okay. The paramedics will be here soon." She said quietly and caressed his cheek. "You saved me and I thank you for that," Caroline murmured.

"He was goin-g to hurt you and no dece-nt man lets a woma-n get hurt. Who was he?" The man managed to make out.

"No one we have to worry about, he's gone now."

A soft smile spread across the man's face even though he was in severe pain. "I'm Niklaus, but my friends call me Klaus."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Klaus," she said and returned the smile. "My name is Caroline."

"Caroline… That's a pretty name…" He said just as his eyes shut and he lost consciousness.

Caroline fell back beside him and shut her eyes, her heart beating rapidly but then it slowly quieted. And she too, lost conscious.

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**A/N: Please review and I appreciate constructive criticism! **


	2. The Hospital

**A/N: Ahhh, I never expected to get this much feedback from the first chapter! Haha some may think that what I got is not much for a first chapter but I am extremely happy with the amount! Anyway, I have decided to continue this story because of your guy's persuasion; so here is Chapter 2! :P **

**Also, I apologize for any mistakes and if a character is OOC. Caroline and Klaus will most likely be out of character because they're both human and Klaus isn't a hybrid killer like he is in TVD and Caroline will suffer from anxiety and depression after her attack. I'll try my best though. :)**

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_**Caroline's POV**_

_I had, had an awful dream._

_One where I was attacked, shot at, and almost killed. Well, I was shot in the shoulder… But still, I could have died!_

_It was so horrible and even though it was a dream, I could feel the pain and agony that my dream-self my having. It just, it just had felt so real._

"Caroline, wake up," My mother's voice tore me away from my thoughts.

My eyes flashed open to the sight of a hospital room.

A hospital room? Why was I in a hospital room?

Oh shit, and that's when I remembered. It was no dream that I thought I had, it was real.

"Mom?" I whispered, my eyes filling with tears.

"Oh, honey," my mother squeezed my hand in a comforting way. "I am so glad you're okay."

"Did they find the man?" I blurted out. I couldn't help it; the pervert's whereabouts were the only important thing on my mind.

She nodded and said, "Yes, they did and they have locked him up."

"Thank god," I murmured. I felt relieved, that pervert couldn't do any more damage to any girls or anyone for that matter.

"Who was he?" I managed to say. My throat suddenly burned and my mother sensed it. From the table, she brought up a bowl filled with ice chips.

I plopped the ice chips in my mouth and sucked on them. They were perfect temperature, not too cold and they quenched my thirst. My mother took the bowl from me once it was empty and sat it back on the table.

She cleared her throat. "To answer your question, his name was Diego Hudson but he went by Josh. They locked him away for murder and assault. After he was brought to the police station and was all over the news, a lot of victims came forward. Many of his other victims are deceased."

A shiver ran down my spine. He really was a criminal who had hurt a lot of people and killed them. I couldn't even contemplate what would have happened if I had obeyed him and got into his car. I would probably be dead in a ditch right now if I hadn't trusted my instincts.

My mother sensed my discomfort and changed the subject. "Would you like to see Elena and your brother? They have been waiting all night in the waiting room just hoping that you would wake up."

I nodded. I hadn't seen my best-friend, Elena since I graduated from high school a few months ago. Same went for my brother. Stefan was twenty and he had started to date Elena when I introduced them back when Elena and I were both sixteen. The pair moved into a small apartment together downtown over the summer as they had been dating for two years. They really loved each other and thought it was right to move in together. Recently, they had gone to Mexico and I guess they were back now from their trip.

My mother patted my knee before getting up from the bed. "You can visit with them and when you're done, you and I will go home."

"Mom, how long have I been asleep?"

"Two days," She told me, "The doctors were starting to get worried because your injury wasn't that serious."

"Oh my," I said and rubbed my temples.

"I'll go get your brother and Elena." She said before disappearing out the door, off to get them.

I was left alone with my thoughts and feelings. And not happy ones might I add.

I hated hospitals all my life and would always refuse to go to them if I was injured. They creeped me out and made me feel sick. The smells and the depressed feelings they caused were not something I welcomed.

"Hey, Care." My brother, Stefan and Elena had come into the room. They both looked exhausted.

Elena spoke first as my brother just sat down in the chair. Elena stood next to him. "How're you feeling?"

I sighed and replied with, "Honestly, pretty shitty."

"That's understandable," Elena said with a weak smile.

Stefan gave me a reassuring smile and held onto Elena's hand. "I'm so sorry Care, for what you went through. I can't imagine what that must have been like and I'm so happy that you're alive."

"Thanks Stefan," I said and looked at both of them, "it's really good to see you guys again. I missed you both so much."

"We missed you too," Elena said.

"Yeah, our trip was great but not the same without you. You would have brought so much fun to the trip." Stefan added.

I smiled. "I think I should get going, mom probably wants to get me home."

"Yeah, sure, sure." Stefan said and stood up, wiping his palms on his jeans.

Elena and Stefan came over to give me a hug and I ended up promising them that I would come over for dinner next week. It might be good for me to get out since I haven't really done anything exciting this summer.

My mother returned and leaned against the door. "Are you ready to go home, sweetie?" Her grin was as big as the sun.

"Heck ya!" I said gleefully and got up from the bed. No more stinky, depressing hospital.

My mom handed me a sweater and I put it on, buttoning it up over top of my white tank-top. I thanked her and we left the room.

While my mom checked me out, I wandered by some of the rooms. I even peeked inside and one of them had someone familiar in it.

It was the man who had taken the bullet that was meant to end my life. His name was Niklaus, but he went by Klaus. An odd name, but I liked it. It was very unique and original.

I looked from side to side to see if anyone was nearby. Thankfully, no one was so I did what my instincts told me. I went inside the room and shut the door.

Klaus was asleep in his bed, connected to some sort of machine that kept beeping. I then realized what the machine was, it was a machine meant to keep Klaus breathing. He was in a coma. A man had risked his life for me, a stranger only to land himself into a coma. And not to mention, a beautiful man, inside and out. I never realized how good-looking he was when he had saved me. His delicate yet masculine face complimented him nicely as did his button nose and full lips.

I sat down in the chair beside his bed, thinking that no one was in here, so what was the big deal?

"Hi, Klaus," I started off. I felt a little silly talking to a person in a coma but hey, no one was here to judge me. Plus, everyone does it in the movies.

"Um, I know you can't hear me… But I just wanted to thank you, thank you for saving my life." I said. "I hope one day when you wake up that you'll let me make it up to you."

_**Klaus's thoughts: Oh if only you know, love. I can hear you perfectly and I'll be looking forward to that day.**_

I took his hand in my hand and noticed that it was freezing. It made me shiver so I released it. "Uh, goodbye Klaus." I stood up and excused myself.

_**Klaus's thoughts: Goodbye, Caroline. I hope I get to see you again.**_

When I was out of the room, my mother rushed over to me with a worried look on her face. "Where did you go? I was looking for you."

"I just had to see the man who took the bullet for me. I wanted to thank him but he's in a coma…" I trailed off and ran a hand through my blond locks.

"Oh," she replied. "Well, we should get home. Your father texted me to say that he's making dinner. We don't want to upset him, so we should get going."

I nodded and said, "Okay, let's go." My mother was always a little funny with my dad, she always worried about upsetting him or making him unhappy.

She gave me a smile and I returned it.

As we walked through the doors, a whole group of news reporters bombarded us with questions.

"What's your name?" One asked.

"Did you know your attacker?" Another asked.

"How did he hurt you?" Another one asked.

"Did you know Klaus Mikaelson?"

"Are you dating Klaus Mikaelson?"

I ignored their questions and managed to push through them all with my mother at my side.

Klaus's last name was Mikaelson, even more unique. Klaus… Mikaelson… Klaus Mikaelson had a nice ring to it. I liked it.

My mother and I jumped into our car and she began to drive out of the hospital parking lot.

Home Sweet Home, here we come…

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I had been had home for about five hours now. We ate dinner with my dad right when my mom and I got home and it went well, there was no arguing and the meal went easily down my throat.

I had felt fine when we came home but not now. Not anymore.

I pulled down my goose down comforter and slid my body into the bed, hoping that the comfort of my bed would bring me to sleep. But no, nothing like that at all.

I felt no comfort whatsoever and felt like my lungs were closing in on me.

I tried to take a deep breath but I couldn't calm myself down but it's so hard to take a deep breath when you're shaking. Like physically shaking.

Hoping that some entertainment would relax me, I grabbed the TV remote from my end table and pressed the power button, turning it on.

I flipped through the channels for a few minutes when I came across something that caught my eye. The news.

"Local girl from Mystic Falls has just been discharged from the hospital." The news reporter lady said. The screen showed a picture of me, my 12th grade photo.

I sighed as I changed the channel. This time it was another reporter talking about what had happened. In the corner of the screen, a video flashed of my mom and me trying to get to our car.

"Oh my god," I muttered under my breath as I rubbed my temples. Maybe it was a bad idea to turn on the TV…

So, I turned off the TV and put the remote back on my end table.

My eyes shut automatically but sleep wouldn't come.

"Sleep, sleep, sleep!" I commanded myself. My eyes flashed open.

I propped myself up on my elbow and flipped my pillow on the cold side.

There, a little better.

My head crashed to my pillow and I flipped over on my side, staring straight into my bathroom.

I groaned and got up from my bed. Weirdly, I didn't feel tired at all. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I slept for two days and my body just had nothing to recharge.

It was pitch black outside, I noticed when I looked through my window. Everyone else in this neighborhood was sleeping, so why wasn't I?

Oh that's right, I had almost died.

I crawled back into my bed and pulled the goose down comforter over my head, preventing me from seeing anything outside of my bed.

I tried to fall asleep by shutting my eyes and taking deep, full breaths.

A few minutes had passed and I still hadn't fallen asleep. Maybe sleep wouldn't come to me at all? Maybe I wouldn't ever sleep again?

Maybe I would turn into a living-zombie.

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**A/N: Okay so I have some ideas for the next few chapters! I'm planning to introduce some of Klaus's family members the next time Caroline visits him in the hospital and things won't go down very well.. At least not for three certain girls... :D**


	3. The Fear

**A/N: Please enjoy and thanks for your reviews! I really appreciate them! Also, sorry if this chapter is a little short or boring… I promise the next chapter will be so MUCH better! Klaus will be in the next one and some DRAMA will outbreak! :D**

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_**Caroline's POV**_

It had been one week since my attack, and I haven't slept one bit. I haven't left my house either or even left my room except to pee. My friends had tried calling me on my new cell-phone my mom had given me but all I did was press 'ignore.' I wasn't in the mood to chat with them and it felt like I wasn't in the mood for anything.

I try to go to sleep but my mind won't let me. The only thing I'm able to do is think. Think, think, think and it doesn't stop; it just keeps on getting worse.

I keep reliving my attack and each time I think about it, the thoughts get worse and worse. It feels like I'm going to die of over-load and everything I seem to do, brings back more thoughts and what would have happened if the pervert managed to get me.

I told my parents about my insomnia and they told me that they think I should go to a Psychiatrist so that's exactly what I'm doing.

I was waiting in the waiting room for the lady to come out and get me. I was extremely nervous, I had always been a shy person but professional's made me cringe. I don't know why, but I guess that it's all the power and intelligence that they hold and how they can use it against me.

As I wiped my palms on my pink jeans, I looked down to see a sweat stain. Great, now my pants look unwashed.

"Caroline Forbes?"

I immediately stood up and focused my attention on the lady who had just entered the room. She had shoulder-length brown hair and cat-like green eyes. She was dressed in a sheer white top and black dress pants paired with a beautiful gold necklace. She smiled at me and held out her hand.

"Hi-I," I stuttered and felt my cheeks go red. God Dammit Caroline, stop being worried! She's a Psychiatrist for Pete's sake, she won't judge you! I shook her hand and managed to force a weak smile

"Hello Caroline, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Carol Lockwood but you will be calling me, Dr. Lockwood. Why don't we go into my office?" As her mouth opened to smile, I noticed how white and straight her teeth were. They were the most perfect looking teeth I had ever seen.

"Nice to meet you too," I managed to say without stuttering.

She gestured for me to follow her so I did. We went through a few doors and then we finally came to her office. **CAROL LOCKWOOD, PSYCHIATRIST **was printed in bold, black print on the door.

She opened the door and went inside. I followed her in.

The room had a desk with a bunch of shelves filled with books, a computer, a few chairs all facing each other in a triangle and a few pamphlets on a wooden table.

Dr. Lockwood sat down at her desk and crossed her legs.

I sat down in the chair closest to her and cleared my throat, anxiously.

"So Caroline, what are we here to talk about today?" Carol asked with a pearly-white smile.

"Um, well I'm sure you've been watching the news…" I said, "Anyway, you might not of but a couple days ago, I was shot at by a criminal."

She pursued her lips. "Yes, I am aware of what happened to you. That man could have killed you which made it pretty scary, huh?"

I nodded and played with the zipper on my black sweater, pulling it up and down. "Yeah, it was really scary. I can't imagine what would have happened if I got in his car or if someone hadn't of taken the bullet for me."

"Mmmm," she said while nodding her head, "are you afraid that something like that will happen again?"

I shrugged. I didn't even know what I was afraid of, I just felt _afraid. _So, that's exactly what I told Dr. Lockwood. I told her how it feels like I've been reliving the event, how I haven't gone outside, how I haven't slept and especially how I feel afraid but not of what, just feeling the emotion 'fear'.

"Do mental illnesses run in your family?" She asked and got out a notebook and pen.

I shook my head. From what I knew, the only thing that ran through my family was bad gas. Gross, I know, but true. No one in my family had suffered from anxiety, depression or any other mental illnesses for that matter.

"Hmmm," she said and clicked her pen, "from what you're telling me, it sounds like you're suffering from early symptoms of PTSD."

PTSD? I felt very stupid but I had no idea what that was. I never really paid attention in Psychology class but I never thought I would need the information we would be learning. "Um, could you please explain what that is?" I asked, sheepishly.

Another smile crept up on her face. "Sure thing, Caroline." She began, "PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is an anxiety disorder that is caused by experiencing a traumatic event and it can affect the individual in many ways. Your symptoms are the most common for people with PTSD."

I nodded, as I was taking this information all in. "Well," I began, "how do we go about treating it?"

"We since it is still very early after your attack, we will just meet every week and talk about how you're feeling to see if it is really PTSD. If a month passes and you're still feeling like this then we will talk about possibly putting you on some medication."

"Okay," I replied, "So that means that you can't really do anything for me right now? You can't like give me some Xanax?"

"I'm afraid not, Caroline. But I can recommend some things to help decrease your anxiety, would you like to hear them?" She offered.

"Yes, of course. Please." I sat up straighter in my chair and leaned forward, listening to her.

"Well, do you have someone you can talk to that might know what you're going through?"

I nodded. I did have a few friends but they wouldn't understand and neither would my parents. "Yeah, I do have someone." Klaus was who I had and he might not be a good talker since he was in a coma and all but he sure as hell would be a good listener. Last time I checked, he was still in a coma in the hospital.

"That's great, Caroline. Together you two can share your experiences and your concerns with each other." She said with a big smile. "Would you like to schedule another appointment for next week?"

"You know what, how about I try talking to my 'friend' and then if I continue feeling this way then I'll come back to see you again?" I was starting to feel better by the second. The attacker was put away in jail so I had nothing to worry about and like Dr. Lockwood said, it was normal for me to be having anxieties especially since all of this was so fresh.

"Okay Caroline, that sounds great." She stood up so I did as well and she shook my hand. "Don't be afraid to call if you have any comments, questions or concerns."

I nodded and thanked her for her time before bending down and taking a few pamphlets from the table. I stuffed them in my pocket and walked out of her office.

My stomach growled as I stepped into my car. Boy, I could sure go for some McDonalds and who knew, maybe it would be a good idea for me to see Klaus again?

I made up my mind as I put my car in reverse and backed out of the parking lot.

This was sure going to be a good day and I didn't mean that sarcastically. I mean it literally.


	4. The Second Visit

**Guest:**** Hi! Where I am from, 37 degrees (Celsius) is considered very hot. I checked Virginia's weather before I started this story and it said that the average temperature in the summer time is 37 degrees. By 37 degrees, I meant 37 degrees Celsius. It can be stated both ways, Celsius and/or Fahrenheit. **

**Also, the first chapter was actually the prologue so it is in third person and I was planning to make this a one-shot... The next and third chapters are in first person. I have just started this story and if I had ten chapters and I was constantly going back and forth, I would possibly take what you said into consideration. I am going to continue writing this story in first person. For the first chapter, writing in third person worked better. I don't really understand what you mean by being consistent because I have seen PLENTY of stories going back and forth between different POV'S.**

**Thanks for your input :)**

**sweetydoe: ****Hello! Yes, I agree with you and I should have been more descriptive with how she was feeling after she got shot. I have suffered from PTSD and anxiety so it is easier to write because I can reflect on my own experiences while writing hers. **

**About the Klaus thing… Caroline didn't know him that well so his whereabouts/ health weren't really a huge 'stresser' for her. Sure she appreciated and thanked him, but like I said, she didn't know him. The Caroline in the show would likely be extremely worried about the man who had saved her. In this story she wasn't really worried about him because I am writing her as a new character and that is not how I want to portray her. She will have many different aspects from the real character. I have changed her in many ways because it is an AU story. So it will be very likely that she and Klaus will both be OOC. **

**Also when she got home, I was mainly focused on her worries about the attack because I jumped right to when she was getting ready for bed. She wasn't really thinking about him at that time. In this chapter, she will be going to see him at the hospital and their 'relationship' will continue to grow. Haha :)**

**Thank you for the review and I appreciate the pointers! **

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**A/N: Hope you enjoy :)**

I finished off the last of my Big Mac, small fries and Diet Coke before throwing the wrappers and containers in the garbage.

Before I left the McDonalds restaurant, I went into the bathroom. The bathroom was a filthy mess, because of a crap load of toilet paper on the floor and a horrible stench filling the small space. Now this is why I hated using public bathrooms.

I went over to the sink and leaned over. I began to splash cold water on my face and then I dried my off with a paper towel.

I dug out my compact from my purse and applied a generous amount of powder. My forehead felt oily which was odd since I had forced myself to shower this morning. With the elastic around my wrist, I pushed my hair back into a low ponytail.

Next, I exited the bathroom and went back to my car. I put on a soft-rock music station and hummed quietly along with the singers.

About fifteen minutes later, I reached the Mystic Falls local hospital. I had reached my destination.

The music automatically turned off as I turned off my car and stepped out.

The sliding door automatically opened as I walked inside. I immediately went up to the elevator.

Thankfully, I had remembered the floor Klaus was on because it was the same one I had been on.

The elevator came to a halt and I stepped off as the doors opened. I wondered down the familiar hall and my feet guided me to the room he was in. I didn't remember the exact room number but my feet surely remembered where to go.

I peeked inside the room only to notice Klaus wasn't in his bed. In fact, the room was empty. It looked as if no one had been in the room in the first place.

Frowning, I walked up to the desk and asked the lady where Klaus Mikaelson had been moved to.

"He has been moved into the intensive care unit, since there are no possibilities of him waking up so he's been moved." The lady told me.

"Okay, and what floor is that on?" I asked.

"Four."

I thanked her and went back into the elevator, pressing the button that had the number four.

The elevator doors came open and I once again, stepped off. Klaus's room couldn't be too far.

I walked up to the first one I saw and luckily, it was Klaus's. I stepped inside the room and closed the door.

Klaus was in his bed, asleep or in a coma I should say. He looked almost exactly the same as last time but now his skin had turned paler.

I sat down in the chair beside his bed and sighed. I felt slightly confused as why I was here, with a man I didn't know that well who was in a coma. Oh how I wished Klaus was not in a coma so I could talk to him and he could talk to me. Even though I didn't know him that well, I could tell he had a kind heart and soul. I wished I had known him before the attack. I wondered if we had the same interests.

I looked back down at his body, and my eyes lowered. I snapped out of my happy state and began to shake a little. I didn't know why I was shaking but the feeling of 'fear' rushed over me again. I took a shaky breath before the words came sputtering out of my mouth in hopes that talking would give me relief. "Um Klaus, I-'ve been suffering from some anxiet-y lately and I feel af-raid. I feel like I can't escape my though-ts and it scares me because of ho-w scared I am. I don't know if I can do this…"

_**Klaus's thoughts: Shhh, love. Calm down and take a deep breath. Here, I'll help you.**_

My voice trailed off as I suddenly felt a weird energy running through my veins. A positive energy that seemed like the type of feeling that people would get from being high. My lips curled up into a small smile as I grabbed a hold of Klaus's hand. I noticed it was warmer than last time. It felt nice in my hand, warm…

I began to start talking again, more clearly and less shaky. "I saw a counselor earlier and she thinks I might have PTSD. She told me that it's too early to be sure so she recommended that I talk to someone who would understand what I'm going through. And the only person I can think of that would understand is you. It's too bad you're in a coma." I whispered before biting my lip.

_**Klaus's thoughts: I can hear everything you're saying. I wish you could hear me."**_

I smiled. Perhaps it was time to go home and come back another time. I felt like I had said everything that I needed to say so now I should get going.

I released Klaus's hand only to feel a sharp electric feeling. I winced and yanked my hand away. I wiped my palms on my jeans and got up from the chair. "See you soon, Klaus." I muttered with a raised brow. What the hell was that feeling?

As I left the hospital, I came in contact with two girls who looked around my age. We all collided and fell to the ground. The first girl had wavy brown hair and doe eyes. She was dressed in a leather jacket and black tights. The second girl had long blond hair and was dressed in elegant clothing; a pink dressy top and a black pencil skirt paired with black heels and a lapis-lazuli ring.

I admired the ring she had on; it was a dark blue colour and looked very expensive. It was a familiar gemstone that I had seen Katherine wear around her neck.

I wished I had a ring like that.

"Um, excuse me?" The blond- haired spoke in a British accent and shot me a glare as she stood up.

I winced as I rubbed my shoulder noticing the papery feeling of a few stitches before standing up. "Uh, sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." I said and flashed a weak smile directed at both of them.

The blond rolled her eyes. "Whatever, just make sure to stay out of my way next time." The girl walked away and went up to the front desk, her heels making a 'clunking' sound each time she took a step.

The brown girl lingered and stared at me. Her dark-red lips curled into a small smile. "Hi, I'm sorry about my friend, Rebekah. We're both going through a rough time right now. I'm here to see my boyfriend who's in a coma and she's here to see her brother."

"Oh, no worries. I understand." I replied and twirled my ponytail, anxiously.

The blond girl tapped her heels on the ground and shouted at the brown-haired girl. "Hayley, c'mon!"

"Shut up Bekah, it's not like Klaus going to wake up!" She shouted back and smiled at me.

I froze. She had said Klaus. This was Klaus's girlfriend and his sister.

Of course he had a girlfriend, he was kind and handsome. I should have expected this but being me, I didn't.

The blond-girl, Rebekah stomped over to us with her hands on her hips. "Ew Hay, still associating with the homeless? Really?" Her blue eyes glanced up down at my outfit.

I frowned. My outfit wasn't that bad, sure it was casual but who cares; especially in a place like a hospital. Like geez, this isn't a fashion show.

Hayley cocked her head to the side as she had just remembered something. Her eyes narrowed as she said, "hey, you're that Caroline girl who Klaus saved? Aren't you? I saw you on the news."

I gulped and nodded. "Yea-h."

"So you came here to see my boyfriend?" She snapped, "you know it's your fault that he's in a coma right? If he hadn't saved you then he'd be fine right now." Hayley seemed kind at first, much friendlier than Rebekah but now she sounded rude; perhaps even ruder than Rebekah…

"Well," I paused, "it's not like that. I just needed to see how he was."

"Well, Carolyn, stay away from my boyfriend. He doesn't need to be around people with such negative energy." Hayley spat.

"It's Caroline," I said sternly. I was going to let this girl get away with how rude she was treating me.

Rebekah smirked. "Come on, Hay. We don't want to keep Nik waiting." She looped her arm through Hayley's and they both walked away from me. Their hips swayed, seductively back and forth as they walked away.

I felt a burning sensation running through my veins, almost like anger… Who the hell were these girls to tell me that I couldn't see Klaus? I sure as hell wasn't going to stop seeing Klaus just because some prissy, bitches wanted me too.

'How could Klaus date a bitch like that?' I asked myself as I walked out of the hospital, heading back to my parked car.

Just as I was about to get into my car, I felt myself stumble into somebody. I looked up and gave them an apologetic look. It was a boy who looked around my age. He possessed dark brown hair as well as eyes. He was pretty attractive, but seemed more like a bad boy as he was smirking.

"Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." I offered a smile which he returned.

"Aw, no worries, love." He replied and placed his hands on my shoulders to move past me.

I frowned because he was touching me and felt a little uncomfortable inside.

"Um," I stopped myself from continuing the sentence.

His eyebrows raised and he looked like he had remembered something. "Hey, you're that Caroline girl who was attacked? Aren't you? I saw you on the news." His grin widened.

'Uh, oh,' I thought. I forced a sweet smile and stuffed my hands in my pocket. "Yeah, I am."

He reached out and caressed my face. His brown eyes looked me up and down. "Wow, you're even lovelier in person."

I pushed his hand away and frowned at how forward this guy was being. He didn't send off a pervy vibe though, this guy was definitely harmless. Annoying, but harmless.

I raised a warning finger. "Listen,-"

He interrupted me to give his name, "Kol."

I started again, "Listen, Kol, save it for someone else."

"Oooh, sassy, aren't we?"

I rolled my eyes before turning around on him and slipped into my car. I rolled down the window to speak to him one last time. "Goodbye Kol."

"Goodbye, Caroline! I have a feeling that I'll be seeing you sometime soon!" He shouted with a grin as he walked backwards, heading to the hospital doors but keeping his eyes on mine.

I chuckled before pulling out of the lot and heading home.


	5. The Mystic Grill

The bright light outside reflected through my window and shone into my bedroom.

I groaned from my bed, not wanting to get out of bed as I flipped over on my side.

I had slept a little last night, I wasn't getting what I needed but at least I got a little.

"Breakfast, Caroline!" I heard my father shout from the kitchen.

I sat up in my bed and rubbed my tired eyes. 'Please give me a good day, world.' I said to myself as I climbed out of my bed and made it.

My oversized cardigan was laid out on my chair so I grabbed it and tugged it over my nightshirt. It was a little chilly in my room so I figured I would need it in the kitchen. The mornings in Mystic Falls were always cold.

When I came into the kitchen, I found my mom sitting at the table, fully dressed with a cup of coffee in hand. My father was also fully dressed, working at the stove, concentrating on making breakfast for us.

I know most eighteen year-olds had moved out of their parent's house or lived in a dorm but I appreciated my parents. They let me live with them and in exchange, I had to help pay for the bills. They cooked me breakfast and I was responsible for making my own lunch and my father sometimes cooked me dinner.

"Good-morning, guys." I said to my parents as I sat down at the kitchen table beside my mother.

She looked up at me with a smile. "Good morning sweetheart, did you sleep well last night?"

"Yeah, better than usual." I replied.

My father finished making our breakfast and he loaded up our plates with bacon and scrambled eggs. "Here ya go, Care." He handed me my plate.

"Thanks dad," I said before taking a bite of scrambled egg.

My dad sat down beside us as my mother and I ate. I was guessing my father had already eaten since he was usually up so early in the morning.

"So, Caroline, what are your plans for today?" My mom asked before taking another bite of bacon.

I tilted my head and chewed my food. I hadn't really given any thought to what I wanted to do today. "Hmm, not really sure. What about you guys?"

My father scratched at his head. "Uh, I think I have to help, uh Steven with something later today. Uh something with one of our clients…" He trailed off, nervously.

Steven was one of my father's coworkers. They were both lawyers and their offices were right next to each other. My father didn't really have any friends except for Steven.

My mother dragged her fork across the plate and looked down. I could sense that there was something that she was nervous about. Nervous about what though?

I forced a smile which my father returned but my mom was too busy looking down to notice.

"Thanks for breakfast dad, I'm going to go get ready for the day." I said with a small smile and excused myself from the table.

When I went into my room, I took out the new phone my mom had given me since mine broke all thanks to that pervert. The phone was an old Samsung and it was hers a few years ago before she got her iPhone. I had put in all of my old contacts in the phone when she had first given me.

I scrolled through my contacts and noticed my two friends, Bonnie Bennett and Katherine Pierce. They were my two best friends other than Elena.

Bonnie always kept Katherine in line and out of trouble as Katherine was always getting hammered and sleeping around with boys who were bad news.

Katherine's latest boyfriend was called Damon but from what I knew, they had broken up a week ago because Damon cheated on her with some brunette skank called Rose who was a few years older than us. And of course Kat went out and got drunk and guess who had to pick up the pieces? Well, Bonnie and I.

I dialed Bonnie's number and she picked up on the first ring. "Where the hell have you been? Kat and I have been extremely worried about you, Care! You were all over the news! Why haven't you phoned or texted us back?" My friend's worried voice questioned me.

"I'm fine, okay? I've just been really busy." I said in my defense and ran a hand through my hair.

I heard Bonnie sigh. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have questioned you like that. You had every right not to phone us. I understand, you must have been so busy. I can't even imagine. I just overreacted." Bonnie said through the phone.

"It's okay, Bon. You have nothing to worry about." I replied and laughed.

She laughed too. "Would you like to go out for lunch with me and Kat at the Mystic Grill?"

"Sure," I replied, "what time?"

"Hmmm, one-thirty sound good?"

I glanced at my clock on my dresser, noticing it was 10:00. "Sounds great," I said, "see you at 1:30 at the Grill."

We said our goodbyes and then hung up.

I put my phone in my purse and got out a clean change of clothes from my closet; a pair of dark skinny jeans and a violet colored tank-top.

I quickly changed into the outfit and then curled my hair with my curling iron. Next, I lined the rim of my eyes with black eyeliner, applied some white eye shadow onto my lid and dark brown in my crease before applying a light coat of foundation. I always enjoyed doing make-up but I never really needed it. My skin was pretty clear and I didn't want to get pimples from wearing too much foundation. Maybe I would have a future career doing makeup?

I put away my makeup and went down on my knees to get out my laptop.

I sat on my bed with my laptop and crossed my legs.

The screen turned on to my face book account. I hadn't been on face book in a long time and I figured I had some time to kill, so why not go on the computer?

I had a few notifications from my friend's and zero messages. I ended up playing one of my favourite face book games for half an hour.

Just as I was about to log off, an idea popped into my head. Klaus Mikaelson, I should search him.

So, I typed Klaus Mikaelson into the search bar and only one person showed up.

It was him, the only Klaus Mikaelson on face book.

I clicked on his name and it directed me to his page. His profile picture was of a picture of himself looking off to the side. It was a really good photo of him, but the real thing was much better.

I looked through his friend's list and he had over five-hundred. Geez, this guy knew a lot of people.

As I continued to scroll, I saw his girlfriend and his sister. I glared at them through the screen before looking at Klaus's wall.

There were several comments from people with the last name 'Mikaeslon', I guessed they were his family members. One of them was named Elijah Mikaelson and he posted, 'Get well soon, Niklaus. We miss you with all of your hearts.'

I clicked on Elijah Mikaelson's page and from what I looked at, he seemed like a very kind and considerate man. So, I messaged him. Probably a stupid idea, but hey, what did I have to lose?

**Hello, Elijah! I am Caroline Forbes and I'm sure you hav**

I backspaced what I had originally put before starting over.

**Hi, Elijah. My name is Caroline Forbes and I'm assuming you've seen the news lately. If you haven't then, I will tell you a brief snippet of my story.**

**I was shot at my a criminal and managed to escape. But, it turned out the criminal had followed me and just as he was about to shoot me, your relative (Klaus) had taken the bullet that was meant to end my life. **

**I just wanted to let you know that your brother is a very kind man and I wish we had more in our world than people like the criminal. **

**I hope everything works out for your family and feel free to message me anytime. **

**Thanks,**

**Caroline Forbes.**

I debated on hitting send. It was just a kind message thinking him for Klaus's actions. It wouldn't hurt anybody. So, I hit send.

* * *

I walked out of the house with my purse slung over my shoulder. I unlocked my car and got inside. I pulled out of my driveway and made my way towards the Grill.

When I got inside, my eyes searched across the table for my friends. I smiled when I saw Bon and Kat. They waved me over.

Both of them immediately stood up from the booth and hugged me.

"Ah, you guys are squashing me!" I joked and laughed.

"We can't help it, Care!" Bon replied.

"We just missed you so much!" Kat added.

We all shared a laugh before sitting down in the booth. Bon and Kat sat across from me.

"How is everything going for you?" Bonnie asked and laced her fingers together, leaning forward to listen.

"Well, I saw a Physiatrist a couple days ago." I told her, my blue-green eyes flickering from Bon to Kat.

"Really? How did it go?" Kat asked me.

"Meh," I said and shrugged, "it went okay and she said that I am having early symptoms of PTSD but it's too early to know if it's actually that."

"PTSD?" Katherine asked with a raised brow.

I nodded.

"Wow, that's pretty serious."

I ran a hand through my hair and kept it on my head for a moment longer. "Yeah, it is. But like I said, it's too early to know if it's that for sure. It could just be regular anxiety that I'm having."

"Caroline, you know we're always here for you? Right?" Bon spoke.

"Yeah Care, always." Kat agreed.

"I know you guys, thank you." I said whilst looking down, not making eye contact. I knew I could tell them about material problems but my mental state was not something I could share with them. It wasn't because they wouldn't be trustworthy; it was because they hadn't gone through something like that before.

The only person who understood was Klaus.

Even though, I didn't know him that well and he was in a coma, he was still the only person.

"So, someone took a bullet for you? Eh?" Katty said and poked my shoulder with a wink.

I flushed and took a piece of hair behind my head, slowly nodding. "Yea-h."

Bon's eyes widened with excitement. "Do you maybe like this mysterious man who took the bullet for you?" Her eyebrows wiggled up and down.

"He has a girlfriend." I mumbled.

"So? That's never stopped me!" Kat spoke up loudly.

I rolled my eyes at her and let out a laugh. "Oh Kat, you crack me up."

"I try," Katherine said with a smirk, "I try."

"His name is Klaus, right?" Bonnie asked. "It said his name on the news but I thought I had forgotten."

I nodded, "yup, his name is Klaus Mikaelson."

Our usual waiter/friend at the grill, Matt Donavan came up to our table wearing his Mystic Grill uniform. We had all gone to high school with Matt. He wasn't much like us though since his parents weren't around to help him with things. He had to get a job at the Grill in order to pay for expenses. If he hadn't have gotten this job then I bet he would be homeless.

Matt's dad left him when he was young and his mother was always out of town with her current jackass boyfriends. Matt also has a sister called Vicki and she is currently twenty-two. But Vicki had moved away a few years ago with her boyfriend, Jeremy Fell.

"Hey girls, the usual?" Matt asked with a wide grin directed at all of us.

"Yup! Thanks Mattie!" Bon and Kat both said in unison.

I returned his smile and nodded. "Thanks, Matt."

Matt and I had dated in high school during our freshman year. We had broken up because we both agreed that we were better off as friends.

Matt nodded, flashed us a smile and then left to get our meals. Usually, he carried around a notebook and pen but not with us. He didn't need to since he had memorized our orders ages ago.

"Oh my god, Bekah. Look who's here."

I turned around to see where the voice was coming from and I froze when I saw who it was.

It was the brunette, Hayley and Klaus's sister, Rebekah. They each had their hands on their hips and were smirking. Hayley was dressed pretty risqué for a Grill, in high waisted shorts, fishnets and a dark green crop top. I did have to admit though; green was a nice color on Hayley. Green complimented her tan skin nicely.

A boy came up around Rebekah and let out a chuckle. His eyes darkened and his lips curled into a small smirk. "Hey, I remember you!"

Kol.

I shut my eyes and felt a blush creeping up on my cheeks, out of embarrassment.

Bon and Kat turned to look at me with a raised brow. "Who are they?"

"They're from the hospital. The brunette Klaus's girlfriend and the blond is his sister. I huffed before opening my eyes. I was so embarrassed, why did they have to be here and why was Kol with them? Oh god… Did they know him?

"What about the smirker? Who's he?" Bonnie inquired whilst staring at him. I saw him wiggle his eyebrows at her and she turned away with a blush on her face.

"Uh, I also saw him at the hospital… Right when I was leaving."

Katherine smirked and said, "he's hot."

I rolled my eyes before pushing on the table to stand up and come out of the booth. I walked over to the girls and Kol. "What're you guys doing here?"

"We're having a family brunch, well except for Hayley. Hayley is just Bekah's friend." Kol spoke. I guessed Rebekah had told him who I was.

"You're related to her?" I asked and pointed to Rebekah.

Kol replied with a nod and said, "trust me, I know, it's difficult to believe."

"Kol!" Rebekah said as her face turned red with either anger or embarrassment.

"I thought Hayley is your brother's girlfriend?" I asked with my hands on my hips.

Kol snorted, "Hell no! Nik loathes her! Hay always get's on his nerves because she is always trying to screw him."

Hayley glared at Kol and pursed her lips. She directed her attention back to me. "It's none of your business, Caroline. You don't even know us." Her brown eyes darkened with anger when she said my name.

"Whatever, I don't even care about your family." I replied callously with a smirk. I tried to come off as arrogant but it was a failed attempt. I had always been a bad faker and liar.

"Oh really?" Rebekah's blue eyes narrowed. "Then why were you at the hospital to see my brother who is in a coma all because of you?!" She spat and looked like she might growl at me. Crazy bitch.

"Because I care about him!" I shouted back and my shoulders slouched. My face relaxed and a nervous sensation ran down my spine. Oh shit. Why the hell would I say that? 'Dumb Caroline," I thought.

"Care about him?" Hayley laughed and flipped her hair. "You don't even know him." She glowered while her lips puckered with anger.

"Klaus wouldn't give two rats asses about you if he was here right now. He probably only saved you because he thought he might get lucky." Rebekah snarled.

Kat and Bon bolted out of their seats to come defend me. Bon on my right and Kat on my left.

"Rebekah, lay it off. I'm sure Caroline had a perfectly good reason to go see him and maybe you're just jealous because your own brother would rather protect a stranger than his own sister." Bonnie said with the perfect amount of sass. Bon was always a good speaker and got her point across easily.

Rebekah opened her mouth to reply but then snapped it shut. I think Bon had put her in her place.

"You know Hayley, don't you think you have some boundary issues?" Kat said with a smirk. "I mean, you came to their family brunch and you're not even family. Oh and to top it off, you visited the hospital with Klaus's family when he hates you!" She laughed and flipped her hair with a swift move of her hand.

'Good job, Kat.' I thought in my head while smiling.

"Maybe you guys should take a look at yourselves before you put down Caroline." Bon added ad glowered, mostly directed at Rebekah. Bon hated mean girls and always stood up for what she knew was right. She was a true friend and same went for Katherine. But Katherine had a more direct way of telling someone off…

Suddenly a man dressed in a suit emerged from the restrooms. Matt came from the other side with our plates of food. The two men both looked confused on what they were seeing in front of them.

I immediately recognized the first man from his picture on face book. "I think the real question is why did Miss Forbes message me on face book if she doesn't care about our family?" He questioned with a raised brow. He sounded much more polite than his siblings which I could admire.

But knowing me I turned bright red at his comment. I was caught, now they would definitely say some harsh things.

* * *

**A/N: Okkie dokkie, hope you enjoyed!  
**

**SWEETYDOE- Thank you again for the review! My PTS was years ago and I'm better now :) Thanks.**


	6. The Cold Hard Truth

**A/N: I posted a poll on my profile page about if I should continue writing in First Person or go back to writing in Third Person since I have gotten a few reviews about which Person I should write in. So, I want you guys to decide and vote please. **

**In this chapter, Caroline has a panic attack because something happens with her father. But don't worry, I plan on waking Klaus up in Chapter 8 or 9. He won't be in a coma for long and the next chapter Caroline will learn more about him and his family. 'Hint, Hint'**

KlarolineKolenaDaroline- Thanks for your reviews. Klaus is not famous in any way, he's just a normal; guy but you will later find out about him and his life since he's currently in a coma and he's not much of a character.

I chose to write Rebekah and Hayley as jealous mean girls (stereotypical, I know) who are mentally 'still in high school' because both of their characters can be quite snobby in the show and I thought it would be fun. Hayley will improve in the story and you will eventually see the true intentions for her jealousness.

About Elijah, he wasn't meant to be mean, he was just meant to be honest and he actually was curious about why she messaged him.

* * *

**CHAPTER 6**

I took a deep breath to steady myself as Elijah came over to us. "Well, Miss Forbes, please do explain." He said without any trace of emotion on his face or in his voice.

"I just wanted to thank you for your brother's kindness. I didn't want to cause a huge scandal; I simply wanted to thank you. I didn't think by messaging you that that would mean I'm obsessed with your family." I said and narrowed my eyes. I felt a little annoyed with this family, they seemed a tad dysfunctional.

"I understand that, Miss Forbes." Elijah replied and came closer to me, cocking his head to the side. "But then why did you visit him at the hospital?"

"Because she's a crazy bitch!" Rebekah said with a sharp tone and glare.

"Oh, shut up Blondie!" Kat spat with venom.

I cleared my throat before speaking. "I visited him because I have a heart and I would care about anybody who saved my life. It's not because I'm interested in him, it's because I respect him." I said calmly.

"C'mon, Care and Kat. Let's get out of here; these weirdos don't deserve our time." Bon said and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me away from the scene.

Katherine shot them each a death glare before taking our three plates from Matt. "Thanks Mattie, baby. We'll see you soon." She said and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

While Katherine kissed him, he stared straight at me.

A pain started in my heart as knew what he was thinking.

"Uh, bye girls. Come again soon." Matt muttered. His cheeks turned bright pink as Katherine retreated.

Poor Matt, I thought. He deserved a girlfriend who loved him and didn't use him. He should date Bonnie! Uh, actually probably not. It would be very awkward for all of us if they broke up…

Kat carried all of our plates filled with cheeseburgers and fries out to the car.

Bon helped me into the backseat of her car and took my plate from Kat. She handed me my plate of two cheeseburgers and fries. "Care, sweetie, we're going to drive out to the lake and have a picnic to take your mind off of things." Bon said in a soothing voice.

I nodded as Kat climbed into the backseat beside me and Bon went in the driver's seat. Kat sat down her plate beside her and handed the other one to Bonnie who put it in the passenger seat.

She kissed my hair and smirked. "Don't let those assholes ruin our day. We're going to have a great day." She tried to assure me.

I smiled back and took a big bite from my cheeseburger. "What about my car?" I mumbled with food in my mouth.

Kat dug out her cell-phone from her black, Gucci purse. I looked at the little screen as she texted someone called 'ex loser.'

I sighed as I realized 'ex loser' was Damon. "Katty, what are you doing?"

She didn't look up at me, she just mumbled "fixing your car dilemma."

Bon began to drive out of the Grill parking lot.

"How is Damon going to fix it?" I asked before taking yet another bite from my burger. It was one of the best burgers from the Grill I had ever tasted. The Grill definitely had the best burgers in town.

Kat shrugged and stuffed her phone back into the pocket of her purse. "He has his ways."

* * *

Kat, Bon and I arrived at the park. We always used to come to this park when we were younger. It was our happy place, our escape.

"Care, you have a lot of explaining to do." Kat said as we all sat down on the grass.

Bonnie nodded in agreement. "What the hell happened back there? Those girls looked our age and they were acting like twelve year-olds." She ran a hand through her messy waves. "God, I feel so immature." She took a big bite of her burger so Kat and I did too.

A long sigh escaped me after I swallowed. "You guys were the mature ones, unlike them. I just don't understand what those girl's deals were. I'm sorry; I should have just ignored them and not started a big thing."

Kat crossed her legs. "Care-Bear, you don't need to apologize. You just need to tell us everything, I know that you gave us a brief explanation but we need more!"

And so, I told them everything. Every little detail.

I felt good to get everything off my chest.

* * *

I waved at my friends and they honked at me before I unlocked the door to my house.

A grin rose on my lips as I saw my car parked perfectly in the driveway.

Maybe Damon wasn't so bad after all…

I slipped inside and immediately heard crying coming from the living room.

Frowning, I went into the living room to see my blotchy faced, red eyed mother.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked softly and went to sit beside her on the couch.

She sniffled and put her head on my shoulder. "It's your father, he has left us for someone else."

"What? Why?" I asked with a confused look on my face. Who had he left us for?

"Steven," she spat bitterly.

The room began to spin and I felt like I was going to pass out.

My father had left us. There was no reason, no signs.

How could he have been gay and I hadn't even known it?

Was I that ignorant?

He had left us for Steven, one of his co-workers. Steven was gay and we had been around him for years, always going out to dinner with him for business.

But, why?

My father was _gay _and I hadn't even known it. Most importantly, my mother hadn't known.

But why?

Now that I gave it a little thought, my father always had a lot of do with his work and he stayed late. I thought that he was just a workaholic but now I knew the truth.

"What do you mean he's 'left' with Steven?" I muttered tensely.

"He left us a note, he's gone to Hawaii with Steven." She got up and retrieved the note from the table. "He just told me that he had some business to take care of but only a couple of hours ago did I notice the note."

A numb sensation started to creep up on me as I slowly read each word in the note.

"_Dear Liz and Care, I am so sorry._

_After years of being in the closet, I have finally met someone._

_Someone special. Some great. And most of all, someone who gets me._

_Someone who both of you know._

_He has helped me come to terms with who I am._

_After a few years of working with Steven, I finally realized I love him._

_I am so sorry Liz, I still hope to be in your life but not in the way that you want me to. _

_Care baby, I still hope to see you and you can come to visit me and Steven in Hawaii. We are going to be here for a while, we don't know how long but I love you girls so much._

_Please forgive me and if you never want to see me again, Liz then I completely understand._

_I have been a horrible husband and you have every right to hate me. Just know that it's not you, it's me._

_Care, I hope you will eventually forgive me and understand. Please._

_Love you,_

_Bill._

The gooey, burning liquid formed in my stomach, came up from my throat, released and went out all over the couch and my outfit.

I dropped the paper and mumbled something before running into the bathroom.

This morning's breakfast consisting of bacon and eggs escaped my mouth and went into the toilet bowl. The burger and fries made at the Grill even came out.

I felt sick. Afraid. Alone.

My father had left my mother and I.

"Sweetie, are you okay in there?" My mother called.

I flushed the cold, metal handle and it roared. My liquids went down the bowl and I was left feeling fuller than ever.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I croaked, resting my head on the cool seat.

"How about you have a nice, warm bath and we will talk when you're out?" She offered and I could sense the fakeness in her voice.

My mother was going through the _exact _same thing I was and I couldn't even bother. She was trying to keep it together for me.

"Okay, I love you." I called out quietly with tears running down my cheeks.

"I love you too, Caroline."

As soon as I heard her retreating footsteps, I peeled off of my sticky clothes and put them in the washing machine. I filled it with soap and turned it on. The soap could take the vomit stains out of my clothes but it couldn't take the vomit stains out of my heart.

Once I was fully naked, I turned on the tap as cold as it could go. I didn't know why I wanted it so cold but I knew that it had to be.

I wanted my body to feel as cold as my heart was feeling.

Not even bothering with any bubble bath or shampoo, I just slid down into the tub, the water splashing me as I fell into the freezing cold water.

The water was so freezing and I wanted to turn it warmer, hotter even but I couldn't bring myself to turn the tap. It had to stay _cold._

I wanted to feel the pain and suffering. I wanted to feel it all in this very moment. I wanted to feel every emotion except fear. I could live with feeling angry or numb, I just couldn't feel _afraid. _

If I felt afraid then I would remember.

_**FLASHBACK:**_

"_Nice outfit, sexy." He had said._

_"I like that outfit sweetheart. Wanna come home with me and show me what's underneath it?" He had said._

_"I'm only leaving if you come with me," he had said. "What's your name, Sweetheart?"_

_"Oooh, I'm shaking in my boots." He had said._

_"No!" He had said._

_"Hmm, how about next time you buy something better than a little shitty flip phone?" He had said._

_"C'mon, baby. We're going home!" He had said._

_"Oww! You bitch!" He had said._

_"Here, kitty, kitty." He had said._

"_C'mon babe, I won't bite unless you ask me to!" He had said._

_"Better come out now or I'll shoot you once I find you. It's not like I haven't done that before." He had said._

_"Found you!" He had said._

_"Don't make a sound!" He had said._

_"I told you not to speak!" He had said._

_"Stand up and don't make a sound. We're going to go to my house and I swear to god, if you do something as foolish as running, then I will shoot you dead in front of everyone. I'm not kidding." He had said._

_"My car is right there, come on." He had said._

_"Now tell me your name." He had said._

_"Tell me your name!" He had said._

_"Sarah, that's a pretty name. Well it's nice to meet you Sarah; I think we're going to get along just great." He had said._

_"Oh shit!" Was the last thing he had said._

The cold water came rushing into my mouth and I began to choke. The tub suddenly felt deeper and I fell deeper and deeper into the tub.

_As I fell deeper and deeper, the tub slowly flipped over and turned into a jail cell. The pervert's jail cell._

"_Hello baby," he was back and dressed in a black and white jumper._

_I screamed and tried to scratch him but he got to me quicker._

"_You got me in trouble, I am in this jail cell all because of you!" he shouted and grabbed me, punching my weak body rapidly._

"_Stop it, please." I groaned and tried to shield my face. His punches became harder and harder. I felt like I was going to pass out from all of this pain, this torture._

"STOP IT, PLEASE!" I stuttered and kept repeating the same sentence, over and over.

* * *

I felt a warm fluffy towel wrap around my shivering body and I clutched part of it. I could sense I was out of the dream, out of the tub. I was safe now and partially, warm.

My eyes finally flashed open to my mother hovering over me. I realized I was on the ground, the carpet in the bathroom.

She had tear-stained cheeks and her blouse was soaking wet. "Caroline, are you okay? What happened? I found you and your body had turned blue, you were unconscious, at least it looked like you were. I started frea-king out and I-I was so scared. Baby, I'm so sorry."

For the first time in my life, I did not know how to answer my mother.

"Um, I need to go. I need to get out of here." I said coldly and got up from the floor.

I yanked open my dresser drawers and pulled out a plain t-shirt and a black skirt before pulling them in, rough.

I felt so cold, so alone and I knew where I had to go. Somewhere where I'll be loved, Matt Donovan's house.

I have to take my mind off of things and Matt is a good distraction. Matt won't deserve it, he deserves a girl who really _loves _him but I can't worry about Matt right now. I need to worry about myself.

"Caroline, where on earth are you going?" My mother followed me.

I stopped at the door to turn to look at her. "I'm going to a friend's; I'll be back in the morning." I kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Please, I need this." I whispered while staring her straight in the eye.

With her eyes full of tears, she responded; "Okay."

I nodded and ran to my car, swinging open the door and starting up the engine.

A few minutes later I arrived at Matt's house. He had a fairly nice house for an eighteen year-old.

I knocked on his the door and waited. His car was in the driveway and the lights were on. He had to be home.

"Caroline?" A messy-haired, sleepy looking Matt opened the door.

"Hi Matt," I greeted quietly.

"Are you okay?" He asked with a raised brow. "I mean, you're here at my house in the middle of the night. Something must be up."

I leaned in the doorway and grabbed his face with my cold hands, kissing him roughly. He stiffened but then relaxed in my touch.

"I need you," I breathed out in between kisses.

"Come inside," he said and pulled me inside his home, slamming the door once we were both in.

I came to my senses and realized I was being selfish when we got up to Matt's bedroom and he started to remove my top.

"Stop, this is a bad idea." I whispered, regretting that I had come here.

"No, it's a great idea." He replied and kissed my neck.

I pulled away from him and sighed. "No Matt, this is a bad idea. This isn't fair, you deserve someone who will actually love you and will be more to you than a one night stand or a friend."

"I want you, Care. I think I love you…" He looked away, embarrassed.

I tilted his head back to look at me. "No you don't, you just think you do. You have never experienced love and I hope you will eventually meet a sweet girl who will love you as much as you deserve to be loved. Matt, I just love you as a friend."

"Okay," he replied with a straight face and I could tell that deep down, he was hurt.

I know in the long run, this rejection was much kinder than sleeping with him and ignoring him.

I pressed my forehead to his and inhaled deeply before exhaling. "We both know this shouldn't happen." I turned away from him and walked out of the bedroom, out of the house and back to my car.

He looked at me through his window and brought up a hand to wave but then brought it down.

With a weak smile, I waved back.

There was a better place for me to go and in my heart, I knew where it was. It wouldn't be open for a few more hours but I _had _to see him as soon as possible.

I needed to vent without a reply.

I needed Klaus.


End file.
